Faithful mark Ash Wednesday in S.J.

STOCKTON - It was a time of somber reflection, and the serious expressions on the congregants' faces told it all on Ash Wednesday.

The Record

STOCKTON - It was a time of somber reflection, and the serious expressions on the congregants' faces told it all on Ash Wednesday.

Across Stockton, San Joaquin County and the world, Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, a period of 40 days (not including Sundays) that is a time of repentance, reflection and reconciliation on the Christian calendar looking forward to the celebration of Easter and resurrection.

Those who attended services on Wednesday bore the marks on their foreheads afterward: ashes applied by priests and pastors, a sign of penance.

The Old Testament speaks of the wearing of sackcloth and ashes as a sign of repentance, from the patriarch Jacob when he believed his son, Joseph, had been killed, to the longsuffering Job to the Ninevites, who, after the warning of impending doom from Jonah, covered even their cows with sackcloth and ashes to show their repentance.

To modern-day Christians who adhere to the practice, a spot of ashes on the forehead is enough.

The day evoked words from the White House:

"Michelle and I join with Christians here and around the world in marking Ash Wednesday," said the statement from President Barack Obama. "This is a day of both reflection and joy, a time to ponder the meaning of repentance and restoration. As we enter Lent, we join millions in renewing our faith and remembering our commitment to love and serve one another."